I spent a full week in Washington during the month of
June with my calendar booked with appointments from the morning till evening. I
was able to spend all of that time meeting with senior USDA economists and
program leaders, Senate staffers, policy advocates, and program leaders from
other agencies. The Grano Fellowship’s Board of Directors were able to arrange
these meetings in my areas of interest because of their long policy experience
in Washington DC and resulting extensive contacts both in government and
out.
This award provides the only means that I know of, short
of already having a career in policy analysis, that a student interested in agricultural
policy can see first-hand how it is made, evaluated, implemented, and monitored.
Many of these meetings were with people who had a role I did not know existed
-- and I do research in these areas. The trip also provided the opportunity to
evaluate if you as a new professional fit in a particular role or agency better
than another.
I have had a graduate career with some pretty unique
experiences, but this experience was incredibly different and helpful. If you have
any interest in agricultural policy or government, I encourage you to apply for
the AAEA Grano Fellowship when the next submission period opens. You will never
have a similar opportunity to meet all the people I met and evaluate all of the
roles I was able to witness first hand outside of this award. I have no doubt
that the members of the Grano Board of Directors will have the contacts
necessary to introduce you to the relevant people in your field of interest. The
fact that the Fellowship provides the funds needed to undertake a trip like
this is a bonus.
Jason Holderieath
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